Volunteer group pitches biomass removal, beetle mitigation at Woodland Park school sites

Don Moore, a founder of NoFlow Co., told the Woodland Park School District RE-2 board at its May work session that his nonprofit is proposing a community volunteer effort to remove biomass and improve forest health on two school-owned parcels behind the high school and at Coline. Moore said the work would include clearing forest-floor debris, removing ladder fuels and taking down dead or diseased trees where necessary.

Moore said the group aims to start on May 9, that volunteers will sign waivers and wear high-visibility vests and helmets, and that NoFlow Co. carries insurance and operates under the federal and state Volunteer Protection Acts. "We file under both the federal and state volunteer protection act," he said, adding that the organization supplies a crew structure and site equipment such as tractors and brush hogs.

The proposal includes options for handling pine-beetle–infested material: covering slash with plastic, hauling to a processing site, or on-site chipping and removal. Moore described five actively infested trees behind the football fields and urged that they be processed quickly to avoid losing more trees. He also described having a dumpster at each site and the possibility of producing a small amount of firewood from cut material.

Board members and staff discussed logistics: site access (gates and road access), where to place dumpsters, student-safety considerations, and how to notify adjacent neighbors. Moore said he had contacted a local media outlet and hoped to use student drone operators to capture before/after footage for outreach and sponsorship solicitation. He also described an associated "community celebration" to recognize volunteers and promote long-term mitigation work, noting a potential link to homecoming weekend in September.

On costs, Moore offered a rough commercial mitigation estimate and an accounting alternative based on volunteer hours. "If we think about acreage ... probably somewhere between 7 to 8 grand an acre for mitigation right now commercial," he said, and suggested his group could supply a volunteer-hour valuation as an offset figure when reporting benefits to the district. He also cited an example in which mitigation work affected insurance figures for a private property; Moore presented those numbers as an example of potential insurance benefit but suggested the district check with its insurer for specifics.

Moore asked only for permission to coordinate with district operations staff and for help publicizing the May workday; he said he was not asking for district funds or new policy. Board members offered volunteer support, discussed permitting and event logistics and told Moore staff would follow up on dumpster placement and gated access. The district asked NoFlow Co. to coordinate details with staff member Jason and to return after staff reviews the site and access constraints.

The board did not take formal action at the meeting; staff said they would return with details and any required approvals or site-access arrangements.